‘Favourite’ used to taking orders from the top, Nawaz says

–Deposed PM lashes out at arch-rival Imran Khan, says people of Lahore have rejected PTI thrice

–Nawaz’s lawyer concludes cross-examination of NAB official in Flagship Investment reference

ISLAMABAD: The legal counsel for deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday concluded the cross-examination of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director-General Operations Zahir Shah in the Flagship Investment Ltd reference against the Sharif family.

Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir resumed hearing three corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family earlier in the day.

Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases in the accountability court after NAB filed references against them in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case.

The court adjourned the hearing till Monday, April 30 and ordered to record statement of investigation officer Imran Dogar in the next hearing of the London flats reference.

During Wednesday’s hearing, NAB requested the court to make the Joint Investigation Team’s Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) part of the court’s records.

The NAB prosecutor informed the court that two witnesses remain in each of Flagship Investments and Al-Azizia Steel Mills references, while one witness is left in the London flats reference. The prosecutor said that they want to present the London flats witness first, to which Nawaz’s lawyer Khawaja Harris objected that the defence had prepared for the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference because “they kept saying that they wanted to record statements in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference but now they are saying that Wajid Zia is not coming.”

“Who are they to present [those documents] which even the witness did not mention?” remarked Khawaja Harris.

‘ORDERS FROM THE TOP’:

During an informal talk with journalists outside the accountability court after the hearing concluded, Nawaz said, “The favourite has a habit of taking orders from the top.” He was alluding to his nemesis, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

“These people claimed to be the torchbearers of change. Is this the change they brought that on orders from above they cast votes for arrow?”

He remarked that Imran Khan has brought a bad name to politics in Pakistan.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister stated the truth or said it by mistake that they get their orders from the top, he said. “The top never meant Bani Gala,” he added, suggesting that the entire country knew what the top meant.

The former premier said that the people of Lahore have rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan for the third time.

“In 2013, people had rejected Imran, the results of 2018 will be the same,” he said, when asked about the PTI’s upcoming public rally in Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan Ground on April 29.

When asked whether he will go to the house of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar, Nawaz refused to comment.

One of the journalists pointed out that Nisar had said himself that he would resolve all differences if Nawaz Sharif came to him. To this, Nawaz asked: “Did Nisar say this to you personally?”

Regarding the corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Nawaz reiterated that allegations of corruption worth billions were levelled against him but nothing had been proven so far.

Referring to the upscale Avenfield apartments, the thrice-elected premier said that whatever the Sharif family owned was bought from personal money and not from the national exchequer.

On Tuesday’s hearing, Maryam’s counsel Amjad Pervez conducted cross-examination of prosecution witness Zahir Shah.

The NAB DG Operations was recently included as a witness by the prosecution.

Shah said he acquired a copy of Volume X of the JIT report through letter of Supreme Court registrar.

He added that he did not share contents of volume with anyone but the investigation officer.

During the hearing, Pervez objected to the prosecutor’s reported interference in the cross-examination.